The present invention relates generally to tuning devices for stringed musical instruments, and more particularly, to a machine for changing the key of a stringed musical instrument.
Guitars are a popular form of musical expression all over the world. A majority of guitars utilize a single tuning configuration. This allows only one setting of tuned strings per instrument. Before playing the instrument, this tuning must be provided for each string in the desired key via string manipulation.
Many artists who perform with stringed instruments, such as guitars, wish to be able to change the general key in which the instrument is tuned. This change is desired to change the overall sound that the instrument can create. Artistic expression of the artist is, therefore, limited, if the musician cannot change the tuning configuration of the strings of a guitar quickly and efficiently.
Manually changing the tension of guitar strings can be a time-consuming process. It takes time to tune all the strings to the general key of the instrument. During a concert performance, performing this task between songs is difficult if not impossible to accomplish and during composing it is counterproductive to the writing process.
During a song, manually changing the tuning of a guitar with traditional tuning means is all but impossible, especially given the sophistication of live audiences, who can sense an out of tune string on a guitar.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,902, issued in the name of Baker, discloses a multi-tuner for stringed musical instruments wherein an adjustable cam mechanism allows the user to select different predefined string tensions for all of the strings by rotating the cam. The cam disclosed in the '902 patent to Baker limits the number of predefined tuning sets.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,479,917, issued in the name of Zitnik, Jr. et al., discloses a multiple lever tone changer for guitars, wherein individual levers are provided to allow the musician to create a vibrato effect, either on a single string or on the entire set of strings. The individual levers do not act together to change the entire key in which the instrument can be tuned.
Two patents disclose bridge assemblies for guitars that incorporate adjustable intonation means: U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,031, issued in the name of Fender and U.S. Pat. No. 5,602,353, issued in the name of Juszkiewicz et al.
Several patents disclose bridge assemblies for guitars that incorporate adjustment means for changing individual string tension, intonation, and saddle height: U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,613, issued in the name of Steinberger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,461, issued in the name of Stroh, U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,512, issued in the name of Kubicki et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,143, issued in the name of Rose.
Several patents disclose automatic string tension adjusting means for stringed instruments that maintains a predefined tone for each string by electronically monitoring the string tone and adjusting it via an electric motor. These include U.S. Pat. No. 2,624,027, issued in the name of Clark, U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,563, issued in the name of Murata et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,797, issued in the name of Zacaroli. Such devices, however, are expensive and complicated and as such are prone to electronic component failure with repeated use.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,330, issued in the name of Borisoff, discloses a multi-tuner for stringed musical instruments wherein an adjustable lever mechanism allows the user to select, on a per string basis, from three different predefined string tensions.
First, the '330 device is designed to use the mounting mechanism on a flat-mount guitar. Since the '330 device is designed to function mainly on a flat-mount guitar configuration, it is not designed to be used with the vast majority of stringed instruments, such as Gibson Les Paul™ Guitars. Second, the '330 device connects to the guitar face by screwing a flat plate directly to the guitar face which may cause irreversible damage to the instrument. The '330 device does not secure to pre-existing mounting hardware. Further, the device described in the '330 patent does not account for the change in string tension and does not account for the effect that it has on the neck of the stringed musical instrument.
While the general concept of the per string, multi-position tuning feature is incorporated into this invention, other elements are different enough to be distinguished over the inventors' own prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,184,450, issued in the name of LeBlanc, only uses one extra predefined tuning adjustment per string and is limited in the range of multi tuning capabilities. Consequently, a need has therefore been felt for an improved but less complex mechanism that provides multiple per string multi-position tuning capabilities for stringed musical instruments.